I remember when Aveda produced a wide variety of perfume blends (inspired by places and cultures around the world) that were sold in small dark-brown spray bottles. I wore several of those scents and was upset when the line was discontinued. I haven’t paid attention to Aveda perfumes (or should I say “Pure-fumes”) since the demise of those light and pleasing colognes, so when I was in an Aveda salon recently, I tried the brand-new Yatra.
Yatra means “pilgrimage” or “spiritual quest” in Sanskrit. In Yatra’s product announcement, its aroma-therapeutic use is said to “balance mind and body, enhance meditation and contemplation.”
Yatra was created by chief Aveda perfumer Ko-ichi Shiozawa, who describes himself charmingly as “Mother Nature’s messenger — connecting you with her through aromas.” (Ko-ichi Shiozawa has impeccable environmental credentials and was probably a shoo-in for the messenger position.) Aveda uses natural essences (organic when possible) to scent its products and advocates protective management of the world’s natural resources.
Yatra contains sandalwood (harvested from sustainable forests in Australia), organic rose, organic lavender and rose geranium. The sales person at Aveda warned me about the top notes of Yatra: “It’s REALLY strong,” she said. She advised I smell the perfume on paper first but I braved the premier spritz on my skin. Yatra’s strength did not bother me, I love powerful overtures in perfumery, but the aroma was disconcerting. I will be demure and say the opening accord smells of a certain (sugared) body fluid. I believe this uric aroma is created by a clash between rose geranium, lavender and sandalwood. But Yatra’s gong-like opening is brief — the scent settles down in seconds to a warm rose geranium and sandalwood aroma. (I can’t detect much lavender.)
Sandalwood is the main ingredient in Yatra and it is an “active” sandalwood: it starts as a “green” sandalwood, then morphs into a butter-sandalwood, then a sandalwood cookie. I like all these phases (which appear in quick succession). Australian sandalwood doesn’t seem to possess the strength and depth of Indian sandalwood; Yatra’s sandalwood smells “young” and fresh. (If you like your sandalwood deep and resinous you may find Yatra too ethereal.)
Yatra ends with a sweet, soft sandalwood scent — mixed with what smells like ‘crystalline’ vanilla (light, non-foody).
From Yatra’s beginning to its disappearance takes about 90 minutes on my skin; at $70 for 30 ml of perfume this is a pricy ‘cologne-like’ scent. I bet the fleeting nature of Yatra is due to Ko-ichi Shiozawa’s reliance on natural essences and avoidance of chemical fixatives. Yatra is perfect for days when a simple, close-to-the-skin scent is all you want to wear, or if you plan to switch scents midday. Yatra can be used by either sex and in any season; since sandalwood fragrances are good hot-weather alternatives to citrus colognes, Yatra would be perfect for warm summer nights.
Aveda Yatra is $70 for 30 ml and can be purchased in Aveda salons or at aveda online.
Note: image of Nepalese Indra statue by Kevin.
I'd love to have balanced mind
The scent sound great too. I have to find some to try.
A balanced mind? The day I wore it I locked myself out of the house and burned my pinky on the stove. Thankfully there was an open window I could crawl through but my finger still looks horrible. K
What an absolutely beautiful photo!
I'm not a huge fan of rose geranium, but I would love to sniff all those sandalwood phases, so will definitely have to go into the Aveda salon next time I'm in the mall and give this a try.
Thanks Elle. I hope you can bear the rose geranium to get to the sandalwood. (Smell their new rose scent while you're at it.) K
Rose? Ears perk up! Now that my roses are in bloom, I'm more obsessed than ever w/ rose scents and I think Aveda would probably do a good job w/ that note.
Your fantastic descriptions of the sandalwood phases have me salivating. Warm summer nights? I have about four months worth coming up. Maybe I can persuade the Aveda rep to give me a large sample rather than shelling out $70?
Good luck with samples at Aveda…I don't even know if they MAKE samples! Take an empty vial with you and ask to fill it…most Aveda sales folk are very nice and obliging. K
My first roses are in bloom too…the spring bloom here is not as nice as the late summer bloom on this particular bush but the scent is great. I'll have to go back into the Aveda salon to sample the rose scent…I didn't want to mix up two new perfumes as I tried Yatra.
I would like to add that the nice ladies at Aveda let me talk them into giving me samples of several of their conditioners in the little cups they used to use to pass out tea, although this was in an Aveda store, not a salon. Agree they are usually very nice. My local Aveda salon: not so nice.
I used to love the EROS perfume. Aveda can still mix up something similar with thier personal blends but it's just not the same.
Anyone know of a simlar smelling perfume. I believe the scent was mostly sandalwood and patcholi.
Carl: I think I remember EROS. The only scents that come close to that…hmmm…you may want to try MPG's Parfum d'Habit or Etro's Sandalo…. K
I tried this yesterday and did not like so much, tho I do love the way Aveda products smell. My fave is “Love” or “Spirit” which is similar, and both are not available. The only problem with them is they don't last long enough. This one is very strong and kind of nice but the sandalwood is very dry, too dry for me. I'll admit I scrubbed it off before the sandalwood turned sweeter, as the reviewer said it would.
I purchased this fragrance last summer and it has recenlty ran out…I love Yatra, it’s subtle nature is calming and sensuous. I always recieved many compliments and often people tried to ‘smell’ me intentionally. It’s a very earthy scent but dosen’t overwhelm….which I hate. Try it….you might like it!